1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to special effect generating apparatus and, more particularly, is directed to a special effect generating apparatus suitably applied to a special effect generating apparatus that employs a digital multi- effector or the like, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a television broadcasting program, a video software or the like is formed, there is frequently required a special effect such that one image is formed by synthesizing a plurality of images.
As one example of the special effects by composing a plurality of images, the following one for displaying a three-dimensional image on a monitor screen has been known. That is, in this example, information representing a depth is added to each pixel of a plurality of images to be composed, then values of the information are compared among corresponding pixels of the plurality of images to be composed, and then pixels of the most foreground side among the plurality of images are displayed and the remaining pixels of the background side are hidden.
As an example of special effect generating apparatus of this type for performing special effect processings to images, there has been proposed the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a monitor 2 is connected to a controller 1 and further a digital video effector or digital multi-effector (hereinafter simply referred to as a DME) 3 for performing special effect processings as to image data or video data is connected to the controller 1. Another DME 4 is connected to the DME 3. Output terminals of the DMEs 3 and 4 are connected to input terminals of a switcher 5 for changing over the video data. Output terminals of the switcher 5 are connected to input terminals of a combiner 6 for combining video data of plural images into video data of one image and outputting it. One output terminal of the combiner 6 is connected to a monitor 7 and the other output terminal thereof is connected to the controller 1.
Operations of the thus constituted special effect generating apparatus will be explained. Firstly, when an operator operates an input unit such as a key board, mouse or track ball (not shown) to transmit a command to the controller 1, the controller 1 supplies, in response to the command, depth data (z data), key data (k data) and inputted video data or the like, for example, to the DME 3.
The DME 3, based on the z data, k data, video data and control data supplied from the controller 1, performs various special effect processings such that the video data is processed to form a designated graphic pattern or the like. Further, the z data, k data and video data supplied to the DME 3 are also supplied to the DME 4 through the DME 3 without being processed in the DME 3.
The DME 4, based on the z data, k data, video data and control data supplied from the controller 1, also performs various special effect processings such that the video data is processed to form a designated graphic pattern or the like. In this case, the signal outputted from the controller 1 is previously arranged by the designation of the operator so as to identify which of the DMEs 3 and 4 performs the processing based on a certain control signal. This arrangement is generally called a logical channel and so on.
Thus, when the operator operates the input unit to instruct the controller 1 so that the video data is processed to form a designated graphic pattern, both the DMEs 3 and 4 may be operated or only designated one of them may be operated depending on the setting condition performed by the operator as to the controller 1.
The outputs of the DMEs 3 and 4, that is, the z data, k data and video data are supplied to the switcher 5. The switcher 5 is a so-called routing switcher having a plurality of input terminals and output terminals. The switcher 5 determines the output terminals from which the data supplied from the DMEs 3 and 4 are outputted, respectively.
The output of the switcher 5, that is, the z data, k data and video data is supplied to the combiner 6. The combiner 6, for example, mixes the output of the switcher 5, that is, the video data supplied from the DMEs 3 and 4 based on the z data and k data which are also supplied from the DMEs 3 and 4.
The video data thus mixed by the combiner 6 is supplied to the monitor 7 and displayed on a monitor screen thereof as an image subjected to the special effect processing.
The assignee of this application has proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-329623 a special effect generating apparatus which is arranged in a manner that information representing a depth of an image is transmitted through a serial transmission line having the same standard as that for transmitting a digital signal.
In a broadcasting station, all of the units shown in FIG. 1 are not always disposed in the same room but sometimes disposed in different rooms separately. Further, the units shown in FIG. 1 are used by a plurality of operators so as to perform different procedures separately rather than used to perform a common procedure.
Particularly, in the broadcasting station, the connections among the units may be changed day by day by the switcher, so that it is impossible to know on the combiner side through which path inputted video data is applied to the combiner. Thus, the conventional apparatus has the disadvantage that in order to know the connection status among the units, the connection status of all of the units shown in FIG. 1 must be checked manually.
In particular, when the routing switcher shown in FIG. 1 is used, since the routing switcher is arranged so as to output a signal supplied to an input terminal thereof from a designated output terminal thereof, it takes much time to check from which unit the output signal of the switcher is outputted, disadvantageously.
While the explanation has been made as a case employing two DMEs and one switcher or the like in the example of FIG. 1, the special effect generating apparatus actually employs further more units. In this case, much time is required for troublesome procedures such as checking of the fault of the units and connections thereof, and further mistake of the checks may occur due to the many check items, and so mistake of the connections or the faulty in the broadcasting or the like may occur at a high probability.